Eyes on Fire
by fairywings81
Summary: After moving Emma to West Yorkshire, Alice and Jasper find themselves in trouble when old friends of Jasper's turns up in the neighborhood with their own child.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Emmeline watched as her parents silently scouted the surrounding area where they were to be living. It was a quiet street, and a fairly new dvelopment, so they were pretty safe there. She smiled cutely when Jasper came back, and picked her up. "Can we live here?" She wrapped her arms around her sire, hugging him close. Jasper seemed more relaxed, and at ease now.

"Yep." Alice came over, and smiled. "And look, Emmy. There's even a little park over there. " She pointed it out, and grinned more when her daughter squealed in delight. "Now you know you can only go out when it's cloudy, or you'll give us away."

"I know..." Emmeline sighed deeply. She had stopped going by the name Emma the minute they'd left Forks. She had a whole new name now. It wasn't even Hale anymore. Jasper had given her his own real name. Whitlock. She liked it a lot. It had a funny zing to it. And she liked to hear in her mind over and over. That was the six-year-old in her. "How can I go to school if it's sunny sometimes?" She looked up at Alice. She knew they'd played at going to school when they'd first met her aunt Bella. Uncle Edward had told her all about that. She found it funny that she referred to Bella and Edward as her aunt and uncle. They didn't and had never used those titles around her. Jasper and Alice assumed it was due to her human side. They all gathered with time, it would go away. But for now, they humored her.

"Well, you're not really ready to go to school right now anyway. You're still too new. We'll have to home school you for a while. Then in a year we'll see where you are, and get you all set up. Then we'll explain how that works." Alice told her. "But don't worry. I'll try to find some kind of play group for you." She wanted Emmeline to be well rounded, and socialized. She and Jasper had discussed this before she had even been changed. They had noticed that their daughter was more comfortable around them than Renesmee. Jasper had equated it to the fact that she probably had had a lot of nannies and au pairs that she played with instead of children. Alice wanted to rectify that, and give her a real chance to be a child. Of course, now she'd be a child forever.

Emmeline merely nodded. She would go with whatever Alice and Jasper thought was best. She had learned a long time ago that you didn't argue with Alice, and Jasper pretty much did whatever would make Alice happy. "Can we go see the inside?" She wanted to see if there would be enough room for her and Emmett to play in the backyard.

"Sure!" Alice set her down, sighing in relief. Emmeline's attitude about things had improved a great deal since they'd gotten off the plane. She knew Jasper probably had a lot to do with it, but she wasn't going to complain. Her baby seemed happy for the time being. Why should she tempted fate. She smiled, realizing what Emmeline waas curious about. "I'm sure there will be plenty of room for you and Emmett out back." She watched as Emmeline tore up the walkway, and into the house quickly. She turned to Jasper. "She's still not happy about leaving him..."

"No, and she probably won't ever be. I should have realized how attached she was to him...." Jasper sighed deeply. "The only thing we can do to sooth the hurt is have Emmett here as often as he can get here." And saying that, he pulled out his cellphone, and called Emmett. He had promised to do so as soon as theyt found a permament house to live in.

Emmett's voice was one of relief on the other end. "Jazz! It's good to hear your voice. We've all been waiting anxioiusly..."

"It took a little longer than we would have liked to find an area that met our requirements." Jasper explained, as he followed Alice into the house. His wife immediately went to check on Emmeline. "We found a pretty nice area. Lots of woods and wildlife, as well as a nice playground for Emmy."

"Emmeline's doing okay then?" Emmett's voice was layered with worry, and sadness. Jasper could almost see his sadness.

"Yep, as a matter of fact..." He smiled, as Alice ushered Emmeline inside. "Hey, Em. Someone's on the phone for you." He handed her the phone, and chuckled when she squealed at the realization it was her buddy Emmett.

"Hi, Emmett!" She paced around with the cellphone, grinning cutely. "It's pretty here, and Jasper and Alice made sure that there's a nice place for us to play catch!"

Emmett chuckled heartily. "Oh? Well, then I guess that means I had better come to visit soon, huh?" He was smiling now. He had missed the sound of Emma's voice. "I heard you got a new name. Whatcha think of it?"

"It's neat! It has a great sound." Emmeline smiled more, grinning up at Jasper. "I like it a lot. Guess what, Emmett! Alice is going to home school me!"

"She is? That's wondeful, little one." Emmett was content. "Oh, hold on, Em. Rose wants to say hi."

Emmeline blinked, but then greeted Rosalie with the same enthusiasm. "Hey, Rose!"

"Are you being good?" Rosalie asked now. There was a smile in her voice.

"Yes! So you can bring Emmett, like you promised." Emmeline was sitting on the stairs now, swinging her little leges back and forth as she talked ot her family. "I miss you guys too. Is Renesmee doing okay?"

"She's perfect fine. She says to tell you she and her parents will come visit too." Rosalie nodded. "Well, I better go. Emmett wants to talk to you."

Emmett got back on the phone then, chuckling. "Hey, let me talk to Jazz for a minute, okay?" Emma handed the phone back to Jasper.

"Hey, Emmett." Jasper smiled at his daughter, as Alice took her upstairs to show her her two rooms. They had decided to give her one room for playing, and one room for "sleeping", since she was still playing at sleep. "She's really missed you."

"I know. The feeling's mutual. I have no one to throw the ball around with. Edward's busy being a father, and you know how Carlisle's schedule gets." Emmett didn't sound too terribly upset now though. Hearing his little pal's voice had made him feel better.

"I've been playing with her, when I can. I've been trying to find work. Alice took a job as a party planner." Jasper chuckled at that. "I know. It's perfect for her."

"Home schooling, huh? That's a big step. We hadn't even thought about sending her to school, even when she was human." Emmett said now. "I wish I could be there to watch all of her progress."

"We'll give you a call every night." Jasper promised then. "Anyway, pass it on to the others that we're okay here, and we'll talk to you all later." He hung up then, and went upstairs to check on his wife and child. He found them gazing out in wonder at the beautiful scenery in the backyard. "It's all wild."

"It's almost like being at home..." Emmeline made the same conclusion Alice had been thinking. She turned to Jasper. "Are there grizzly bears here?"

"I don't see why there wouldn't be." Jasper smiled. "And if there aren't, I'm sure you'll find something you'll like just as much if not more so." He didn't want to get his daughter's hopes up. He wanted her to understand it was okay to adjust to other sources of nourishment if the preferred was not an option. He scooped her into his arms, and held her close to him, opening the window. "Come on. Let's go check out the local menu, shall we?" He put Emma on his back, and he jumped down to the ground, rushing to the nearby forest with her. Alice, of course, followed gracefully, without a problem.

"Jasper, put her down. She needs to learn to do this as much by herself as possible, should anything happen..." Alice parished the thought immediately. Nothing would happen to her and Jasper. But it was true. Emmeline needed to learn to hunt as independently as she could, for her size. She watched her baby bound ahead of Jasper, though she cautiously looked back, worried that she was doing something wrong. "You're alright, Em. We're right here." She caught up to Jasper at length, and watched with sharp eyes as Emmeline looked around for something she wanted to eat.

Suddenly, Emmeline pounced with blurring speed, and Alice and Jasper jumped, hearing the loud whimper of some poor animal that got her fancy. She growled, tearing at the flesh of what Alice and Jasper soon realized was a newborn deer. She came back, blood dripping everywhere. "Yum!"

"What a mess..." Jasper shook his head in amusement. "We'll need to teach you how to eat cleanly at some point." For the moment, Jasper picked her up, and gave her to Alice. "Take her back, and I'll be along soon." They had decided long ago that they would not allow her to witness them feeding, even if she was doing more of it herself. Maybe when her mentality matured, but she was still young in mind.

"Alright." Alice took her back, and smiled. Her daughter was going to flourish there in England. She was sure of it. She smiled gently after she'd changed her daughter into a clean dress, as Emmeline began to unpack her toys. "Do you want help?"

"I can do it, Mama." Emmeline blinked. She had never referred to Alice as her mother before. It had come out so naturally. She looked over at Alice.

"It's alright, little one. You can call me mama, if you want to." She smiled gently. She was glad to see they were finally reaching that level of trust with her, and understanding. Maybe they'd needed this time away from the others to build it. She wasn't sure. But Alice was relieved. "And it would be neat, if you called Jasper daddy. He'd like it."

Emmeline merely nodded, as she put her books and stuff on the built in bookshelves. "I will. I love you both..." The smile Alice gave her made Emmeline even happier. Then she caught an emotion she wasn't expecting. "Mama?" Alice had an expression on her face that alarmed the little girl. She abandoned her books, and went over. "Alice?" She tried now. Alice merely picked her up, and held her close. "Mama, what's wrong?"

"We might have a little trouble here, as well.." She turned with Emmeline in her arms, and went downstairs. Jasper was still hunting, so her news would have to wait. She set Emmeline down on the couch. "Here. Explore their sattelite channels. Maybe there will be something good you'll find interesting." She didn't want her daughter to be a couch potato, but she wanted to distract her from worrying. Worrying was for her and Jasper to do, not their daughter.

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When Jasper came back over an hour later, he knew immediately something was wrong. His wife was cleaning unnecessarily, and allowing Emmeline to watch cartoons. It wasn't something they normally allowed anymore. He went to Alice, and was bombarded with feelings of panic. "Tell me about it." He said simply, as Alice buried her face in his chest, sorrowfully. "What did you see?"

"It's bad, Jasper. Just really bad..." Alice was shaking. "Her eyes, they were red, and her mouth...covered in human blood....and a dead girl, at her feet..." She shut her eyes, as if she could shut out the images that played in her head. She felt Jasper hug her gently. "I thought moving her here would..."

"Your visions...you know they're subjective..." Jasper tried to soothe his wife. He held her closer. "I don't want to think about any of that happening. Not to our baby.." He glanced out to the living room. Emmeline was contently watching Sesame Street. He was glad she didn't notice any of what was going on. "Alice, we have to be strong. If Emmy even suspects something's wrong..." He pulled away from her, and went out to the living room. "Hey, sweetie."

"Is Mama okay?" Emmeline responded. She could feel Jasper's worry. Ever since she'd become immortal, her empathic senses had sky rocketed. She noticed it more and more every day.

Jasper settled down next to her, and just pulled her into his lap. "Alice will be fine." He didn't question the fact that she'd called her "mama". It would have happened eventually. He hugged her close to him, and smiled to himself as she laid her head on his chest. Having to leave Emmett behind had made it easier for her and Jasper to bond. "Are you still playing "sleep"? "

"It's a lot more fun when Nessie's around..." Emmeline admitted. "But I like laying on the bed, and just resting." She hugged Jasper tightly. "Can I call you Daddy now?"

Jasper chuckled softly. He thought about how badly he'd been wanting her to do that since the beginning, but they'd never dream of forcing titles on her, when she had already been so traumatized by the loss of her mother, and father. They'd learned several weeks after Emmeline's turning that her father had been arrested, and convicted of the murder of his wife, and child. It had been circumstancial evidence. Both Jasper and Alice had felt bad about that, but Carlisle assured them that this was a good thing. They wouldn't have to worry about Emmeline being found out anymore, and she could even go to Charlie Swan's with Bella and Renesmee if she wanted. Emmeline never did, of course, but the option was now available. "You call me whatever you feel comfortable with." Jasper told his daughter then. He wanted to let her know that the choice was always going to be hers.

"I want to call you Daddy." Emmeline nodded to reassure Jasper. "Cause that's what you are." She got down off of Jasper's lap, and headed upstairs to her room to rest. She knew there was something going on that Jasper and Alice weren't telling her. And it bothered her. The amount of worry, and panic that came from Alice earlier made her realize it was something she was going to do. She'd seen the way Alice held her tightly. She'd felt it. Even as a vampire, Alice's grip had nearly hurt her. _Whatever it is Mama saw, I won't do it! I'll make sure I won't. I don't want to hurt Jasper and Alice. I love them. And if I mess up, I will hurt them, because those bad vampires will come back, and hurt me. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

For the first time, Emmeline didn't play at sleep. Instead, Jasper got her involved in a game of flashlight tag outside in their new backyard. She was still incredibly fast, being a new born. Jasper had to amplify his already fast speed to match hers. When she grew bored of being chased by the flashlight, the two sat on the luscious lawn. Jasper pulled his daughter in his lap, and she leaned her head back against his chest. "Daddy...you weren't mad cause I got sick, were you?" It was a random question, but one that had bugged her from the time she was oriented well enough to think about the circumstances of her being changed.

Jasper blinked, and he reflexively tightened his grip on her. "No, of course not. Why would you ask such a question?" He brushed her hair out of her face. Alice had re-dyed it later in the evening when she'd gotten back from her own hunting. He studied Emmeline's face, and he absently wished Edward was around to tell him what was going on in her head. Her face was expressionless.

"Emmett said you weren't happy about it..."

"He did, huh?" Jasper hugged her close to him. "Well, to be perfectly honest, baby, Alice and I had really wanted to wait until you were older...we'd always had it in our plans to change you...just not under those circumstances." He petted her hair lightly. He felt her urge to ask more questions. "Go ahead and ask me."

"It hurt more than a little..." Her voice was soft now.

Jasper felt a stab of guilt flow through him at her next words. "I know...." He paused. "I lost control, I'm sorry...It wasn't supposed to happen that way..." He wrapped his arms around more, when she curled up against him comfortingly.

"I'm not mad...." Emmeline's voice was soft. She was starting to pick up Jasper's accent. The older vampire thought it was cute, actually. He ran a hand through her hair. "Emmett told me it was hard for you..."

"Emmett sure did tell you a lot of things..." Jasper wondered if Emmett had ever gone into detail about his story. He made a mental to find out exactly what Emmett had told his child. "You're very precious to me, Em....I'd never intentionally hurt you. You know that, don't you?" He glanced towards the door. Alice had just come out to sit with them.

"I know." Emmeline was careful, wording her next question. She had never questioned the Cullens' intentions when they'd taken her in, but now that she was comfortable with them, and was one of them, she felt she had a right to a few answers. "Mm...what happened to my other Daddy?" She heard Alice gasp softly. She had been expecting that question eventually.

Jasper was about to reply, when Alice put a hand on his shoulder. He sat up with Emmeline. "Maybe Alice would be best to answer that..." He wasn't sure he could answer it so tactfully. He wanted to tell her exactly what had happened, but he didn't want to upset her. He knew his wife probably had an answer prepared.

"Your.. other Daddy...died." Alice said the words as sadly as she could, and made a note to block out news channels and programs during Emmeline's TV time. If she caught sight of the man that used to be her father, everything would be ruined. "Some others...got a hold of him. I'm sorry..." She took her child into her arms and held her gently. As Emmeline laid her head against her chest, Alice smiled lightly. "But, we will never go away, and leave you behind." She rocked her just a bit. "You're our whole world."

Emmeline didn't even flinch at the news. She was sad. But she had given up ever seeing him again a long time ago. She buried her face in Alice's chest though. She had been worried about Alice since her vision that afternoon. She hadn't said much to her, and when she'd go outside, Alice followed her close behind.

"So, guess what? Tomorrow, we're going to check out a play group at the park that I found out about." Alice said, to change the subject. She smiled gently. "We'll have to keep a close eye on you, of course, but I've got a plan to help keep you safe." She felt Emmeline hug her closer.

"When's Emmett coming to visit?" Emmeline wouldn't mind making friends her age, but she did mind that no one had talked to Emmett about coming to visit that day.

"Soon." Jasper replied cryptically. He and Emmett had talked again that night. Even though both Emmeline and Emmett wanted to see each other, they had come to a mutual agreement that she needed to bond with Jasper and Alice properly first. "He'll come as soon as he can. In the meantime, let's give this playdate a try, okay?" He smiled at Alice. He was sure he could make Emmeline understand in his own way.

"Okay, Daddy..." Emmeline got up then, and moved back to Jasper's lap. She really did love Jasper so much. "Are you going to come with us?"

"Sadly, no. I have an interview tomorrow." Jasper hugged her close to him. "Let's go inside." He did want to keep her on a normal schedule if it was at all possible. He stood up with her, and headed back to the house. He turned to Alice. "Stay right there. I'm going to lay her down to rest."

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"But I'm not tired..." Emmeline had been marveling at that all evening. It was the first time she'd noticed that she didn't actually feel sleepy. She looked up at Jasper. "We..don't have to sleep, do we?"

"Not at all. Our bodies don't require it, but sometimes, it's a good idea to just lay down, and relax." And as he said that, he gave off a wave of relaxation. He needed her to relax a little while. He had to talk to Alice more about what his wife had seen that afternoon, and if she'd seen anymore. They had opted not to say anymore about it in Emmeline's presence. Jasper was reminded of how she'd snapped at him before they'd left. And he didn't' want to add fuel to that fire.

"Okay..." Emmeline felt oddly pacified, but not sleepy. "I guess it couldn't hurt if I just rested here for a bit..." She spoke as Jasper laid her down in the bed. "But you guys won't go hunting right?"

"Not at all." Jasper smiled calmly. "Just rest. We'll be right outside." He closed her bedroom door, and walked back outside. Alice was sitting in a lawn chair now on the patio. "She's great."

"Yeah....Jasper, what if we can't stop her? What then? You know the Volturi will insist upon her destruction." Alice shuddered at the words.

Jasper didn't answer for a long time. He was still having a hard time dealing with the very idea that all of their hard work would be wiped out in seconds. "We'll just have to take extra precautions. Take some sippie cups of blood with you tomorrow, keep an eye on her. But I'm with you. We should let her find some friends her own age. It might be hard for a little while, but the year will pass quickly, and then she'll be fine."

"Right..." Alice leaned her head on Jasper's ran as he crouched to be next to her. "I'm just so worried."

"And you know she'll feel that. She's been feeling it all night. I've only just been able to blur it out for her." Jasper was worried about his daughter's growing empathy. Would she end up developing to the point of being able to control emotions too? He was really hoping that wouldn't be the case. If that happened, he'd have even more work on his hands. And he wasn't sure if he was ready to take on teaching another like himself just yet.

"I'll try not to worry so much, or show that I'm worried." Alice promised then, standing up. "We should get some supplies for her..."

"You go first this time. I'll stay here and keep watch, in case she comes downstairs." Jasper smiled as Alice took off, her slip ons left on the patio. He picked up the shoes, and carried them inside. Then he sat down, flipping through channels he didn't watch. Harder times were ahead for Emmeline. They were going to challenge her stability tomorrow. He knew Alice could handle it, but Jasper wished he could be there, just the same.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The next morning, Alice was glad to see that it was overcast, but not raining. Even if they could deal with rain, she knew that Emmeline didn't like it. The first part of the morning, she spent online, ordering various house wares for their new home, while Emmeline started working on presents for the family. She wanted to send them presents so they knew she was still missing them. Alice watched her baby off and on, still marveling at how well she handled herself. It made her wonder if the theory of having the right sire, and the right training was really what made the difference. She had a meeting with some clients that day too, after the play group. She hoped Jasper would be home from his job interview by then, so that she wouldn't have to take Emmeline with her. She knew from experience that bringing your child to an interview was frowned upon.

Around eleven thirty, she started to get Emmeline ready to go. "Okay, sweetie. This is going to be a little difficult for you. I know that you've done well with Jacob, but now we're going to see some real humans, and they're going to smell really good. Do you remember the trick that I taught you?"

"Uh huh. Don't breathe in too deeply." Emmeline could sense Alice's worry and nervousness. "I wish Jasper was here...." She buried her face in Alice's skirt then. "He'd make it okay, right?"

"For you, yes, but Jasper would have his own challenges too...." Alice replied vaguely, picking her up. She made a side note to ask Jasper if and when he planned to explain that Emmeline. It wasn't her place. "Let's just see how things go. If things get too hard for you, let me know, and we'll leave, no questions asked."

"'kay, Mama." She let Alice put her into her coat. "Why do I need a coat? I don't get cold...."

"Yes, Love, but humans do. We're blending in." Alice gestured to her own designer jacket. "You'll learn how to do that eventually." She'd been about to say 'when you get older', but she caught herself. "Okay, I think I have everything. Oh whoops. Can't leave without these..." She grabbed the backpack full of sippie cups. They were the first phase of the plan. If they worked, Alice would be happy. She wanted Emmeline to be able to socialize with children her age while she could. "Okay, let's go." She carried Emmeline out of the house, and into the gray afternoon.

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Alice was dismayed to see that the playground was already very crowded. She'd hoped the moms would be late, giving Emmeline time to adjust to the scents slowly. She felt Emmeline instantly tense in her arms. "It'll be okay." She whispered into her ear. "I won't let anything bad happen." She let her down. Her daughter immediately grabbed Alice's hand tightly. Alice smiled down her. "Come on. You promised Daddy you'd be okay."

"They smell funny...." Emmeline wrinkled her nose, and tried not to breathe in too much. "I don't think I can do this...." She was even more worried when Alice moved them forward a bit, and started to greet one of the other mothers.

"Hello, I'm Alice Whitlock, and this is Emmeline." She smiled pleasantly at the woman.

"Brooke." The woman said plainly. "I'm Cara's au pair." She gestured to a little red head girl.

"Oh, I see. Come on, Emmy, let's go meet Cara." Alice stopped walking. Emmeline was watching someone else contentedly. Alice followed her gaze, and she almost gasped. There, at the far end of the park was someone she didn't think she'd see any time soon. It was Charlotte, the mate of one of Jasper's old colleagues. "Charlotte...?" She wandered over now. The other looked up.

"Alice! Fancy meeting you here! When did your group move to England?" Charlotte eyed the little girl with Alice.

"It's just Jasper, Emmeline and I." Alice clarified, smiling pleasantly. She gestured to Emmeline. "This is mine and Jasper's daughter."

"Another hybrid?" Charlotte blinked. "The miracle with Edward and Bella was one thing, but I thought we couldn't conceive?"

"She's adopted." Alice replied softly. She watched Emmeline as the little girl wandered over to another child that was just pale as she was. "And you and Peter?"

"We found this one in our travels. She was apparently a spoil from Maria's war." Charlotte replied simply. "Peter named her Kammy, since she couldn't remember her name." Charlotte watched after the blonde child with a maternal eye. "Peter and I love her dearly. We've been lucky to have her with us. It makes us feel...more whole."

"Yes..." Alice was wary. If Peter and Charlotte, plus their child were hunting in the area, it would be bad for her family as well. "Jasper and I live nearby...." She wasn't sure how to bring up the subject of their hunting activities. "Emmeline is still new. She has only been for a few months, not even nearly a year." She said this with a firm tone, hoping Charlotte understood.

"Peter and I will not bring any trouble to your child, Alice." Charlotte assured the other mother. The suddenly at the same time, the mothers' noses flared. A child on the playground had fallen and cut themselves on the harsh gravel. "Kammy..." She wandered over to where the girl was. Kammy was perched to go after the little boy that was being nursed by his mother.

Alice, in turn, went over to Emmeline, and held her tightly. She heard her whimper, and knew her pain. Alice felt the same pain, but she was in much more control than Jasper, of course. "It'll be okay, little one ... be strong."

"It hurts...." Emmeline pouted, and squirmed, as Alice tightened her grip.

"It's alright..." Alice said softly into her hair. She was watching Charlotte with her child. "Hold her, Charlotte." She said through clenched teeth. She returned her attention back to Emmeline, and she picked her up, moving her off the playground all together.

Charlotte held on to her child too, even though Kammy fought harder than Emmeline did. "Not now, baby. We'll get you something you can have." She pulled her to her feet, and met Alice at the top of the hill. "Can we go to your house?"

"Sure." Alice saw how terribly shaken Emmeline was after that. She dug out a sippie cup of animal blood, and handed it to her. "Here, Sweetie." She glanced over at Charlotte, and smiled. "Thanks...."

"It's not a problem." Charlotte followed Alice back to the house, and whistled when she walked in. "Wow. It looks great in here, Alice. Your doing, I suppose?"

"Yes." Alice sat Emmeline down in front of the TV, and turned on the nearest children's network. "Here, Emmy. Why don't you and Kammy watch some TV?" She wanted to talk to Charlotte about her daughter.

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Kammy eyed Emmeline, frowning. "You're not like me..."

Emmeline frowned back. "Am too. I'm a biter." She used the phrase that Renesmee always used. She was sipping at the cup in her hands, engulfing the contents hungrily. The pain in her throat subsided.

"You're not a real biter. You feed off animals. That makes you weak." Kammy replied, smirking. "Have you ever even had real human blood? It's very yummy."

Emmeline felt like she'd just been slapped in the face by this new person. She growled slightly. "Daddy said feeding on humans is bad." She thought of Jasper then, and was ashamed of how she'd behaved at the park. She hung her head.

"My Daddy said it's okay, as long as we do it in less populated areas, like here." Kammy replied. Her eyes were bright red, glistening with passion.

"Well, your Daddy's going to get caught by bad guys." Emmeline stuck her tongue out. "Mine's way better."

"Yeah right." She growled. She turned her attention to the television. "You actually watch this baby stuff? I like Discover Channel." It was obvious that even though Kammy physically looked the same age as Emmeline, she was clearly more developed mentally.

"Mama likes for me to, but when I'm with Emmett, I like ESPN and Fox Sports."

"Sports?! You're a girl!" Kammy was aghast at the idea of this little thing playing sports. "You're really weird."

"Am not either!" Now Emmeline was very upset, and if she could've cried, she probably would have been doing that by now. She stood up, and went into the kitchen. "Make her leave, right now!" She demanded of Alice. "She's being mean to Jasper!"

Charlotte blinked. "Emmeline, honey, what's she saying?" Charlotte found that the feelings she'd once held towards Jasper were long gone. She stood up, and went into the living room. Alice followed. She didn't like the idea of Kammy making the daughter of their hostess upset. It wasn't something that she and Peter allowed for. "Kammy..."

"I didn't say anything, Mama." Kammy was sitting on the couch, watching TV, as if nothing had even happened. "She misunderstood."

Emmeline growled. "She's lying." She was about to go over to prove it when someone picked her up from behind.

"Now, Emmy, I know I've taught you better manners than that." It was Jasper. He had felt the tension from outside the house as he was coming in. He glanced up and was surprised to see Charlotte. "Especially when we have guests in the house."

"Jasper....it's been a while." Charlotte nodded to her old friend. "Peter will be glad to see you, I'm sure."

"I'm sure." Jasper was not happy. He could tell from the way Emmeline was reacting it was the child that Charlotte had brought into the house that was causing his daughter's upset. "Now, Emmeline, tell me. What happened?"

"Kammy was being mean to you, and I told her it wasn't nice."

"Yeah, well your "Emmy" said my Daddy was going to get caught by the bad guys!" Kammy growled at Emmeline. She was not going to allow Emmeline to get away with making her look like she'd done all the wrong.

Jasper frowned, and set Emmeline down near Kammy. "Charlotte, can I see you in the kitchen for a minute, please?" He grabbed the woman by the wrist, and pulled her into the kitchen. "So, how did this happen?" He gestured towards the living room. "You know having an immortal child is against the rules."

"You're one to talk. What about your child?" Charlotte countered. "Besides, Peter and I didn't turn her. We found her that way a few years ago. Peter thinks she must've been a left over from Maria's raid." She winced at the woman's name. She knew she owed her life to Peter and in a small way to Jasper. Maria had wanted her dead.

"Be that as it may, I don't need that girl coming into my house, and trying to change everything we've worked so hard to teach Emmeline." Jasper felt his voice moving to the commanding tone he didn't often use anymore. He had reserved that tone for dire situations, like dealing with Victoria and her army before. But he needed to make it clear to Charlotte that what her daughter was doing was unacceptable.

"From the sounds of it, your Emmeline wasn't being much better." Charlotte replied now, her voice softly chiding. "Maybe it's time for me and Kammy to go..." She figured part of Kammy's problem might have been that she was hungry. "I'm sorry for any trouble."

Jasper blocked her way out. "Where are you and Peter staying?" He spoke with a note of worry. He did not want them hunting anywhere near them. He thought of Alice's vision the day before, and he was even more worried. He did not want that to come true.

"We're a few miles from here generally. Peter wanted to check out other places. I will tell him this place is out. I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble for you two and your child."

"See that you don't." Jasper replied crisply. He scooped Emmeline up as she came in. "I won't tolerate having my child put into danger."

Alice laid a hand on her husband's arm to calm him down. "Calm down. Charlotte had no way of knowing this place was taken." She smiled apologetically at Charlotte. "Why not bring Kammy and Peter back tomorrow night for a while? I'm sure the guys would love to catch up."

"Just as long as they've hunted before coming here." Jasper left the room with Emmeline in tow. He took her upstairs for a rest. He felt that she needed to be away from their guests for now. He was sure she was going to have questions. He had the sense that a lot more had passed between her and little Kammy besides the insults of their fathers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The Whitlocks welcomed Peter and Charlotte, along with their daughter Kammy back into the house two nights later. The girls didn't appreciate having to be nice to each other. If Jasper hadn't been monitoring the situation, he was sure there would've been a fight. Nontheless, the families got along pretty well. Now, Jasper and Peter were out on their large deck. Peter studied Jasper. His friend had changed even more since the very last time he had seen him at the Cullen mansion. "She's beautiful, Jazz. That little one in there."

"Indeed. Emmeline is mine and Alice's whole world. " Jasper was staring out into the wilderness. "You and Charlotte are lucky that the Volturi have not found you with that child yet." He spoke gravely now. "I don't know how you've managed to evade them."

"We know." Peter replied. "We've moved every time we've felt like they were getting close. And, as I'm sure Charlotte has told you, we've limited ourselves to eating only when it was completely necessary. Hard for Kammy, but she does well enough."

"Your Kammy has a lot of guts, as it were." Jasper looked at his friend now. "She had my daughter nearly hysterical the other day, telling her how weak she was for feeding only on animal blood." His eyes were hard, as he glowered at Peter. "Emmeline has been through enough, and I didn't appreciatei having to assure her that she was not weak for doing things the way she was taught. "

"I can promise you, Kammy will never again say something like that." Peter held up his palms. "Trust me, Charlotte and I were not happy either. She should've known better to talk like that in your house. I guess I should have had that talk with her before." He ran a hand through his hair, and sighed. "You understand it's all she knows...."

"Yes, well, animal blood is all Emmeline has ever known, and I'd like to keep it that way." He winced, remembering the vision that Alice had described so vividly. It wasn't often his wife got that freaked out. Indeed, if he had such a vision, he probably would have gotten freaked out too. Feeling Alice's emotions was bad enough.

"Point well taken." Peter replied then, bringing his friend out of his thoughts. "How did you guys do it? We found ours. Something tells me she wasn't always...."

"No, she wasn't." Jasper replied, his voice low. His mind flashed back to the finely dressed six-year-old at the hotel, who had accepted Jasper and Alice without any hesitation what so ever. He thought about how comfortable with the Cullens Emma had become, and how trusting she'd been from the start, without realizing what kind of danger she was really in, just being around Jasper. He was reminded then of the fateful day when Emmett had rescued her by taking down the grizzly with his bare hands, and how that had set things into motion for the rest of Emmeline's human existence. "She got sick...." He said to Peter now. "And the Volturi were coming. We had to make a snap decision. It wasn't the easiest thing we'd ever had to decide."

"I'm still surprised the Volturi didn't destroy her immediately." Peter turned his gaze out to the darkness, which was sporadically lit with fireflies. "It's not usually like them to allow an immortal child to live. They were all ready to take Renesmee out, if I remember correctly."

"It was of great concern to us too." Jasper replied. "She's on a trial period right now. Aro saw no threat in her when he last saw her. If she can go her entire year with touching human blood, we can keep her, and our lives." Jasper's tone was soft. "We moved out of Forks due to a vision that Alice had. Then she had another one, just shortly after we were settled. We've been afraid ever since." He straightened up when he heard Emmeline in the doorway. "Hey, Emmy. You and Kammy having fun?"

"I want to play flashlight tag." She came and crawled up on to a bench to stand next to Jasper. "Will you play with us, please, Daddy?"

Jasper chuckled. "Well, when you put it that way...." He picked her up, and held her close. He smiled at Peter. "This is what it's all about, Peter. Being a father figure has really changed me."

"I can see that." Peter smiled then, as his own daughter came out to them. "Hey, Kams. Are you going to play some flashlight tag with Emmeline?"

"I guess I could...." Kammy was learning quickly just how young and naive Emmeline still was. She decided to make the best of it, and try and be her friend instead of her enemy. "Sure, Emmy. Let's go play."

"Don't call me that." She frowned. She only allowed Jasper and Emmett to call her Emmy. Sometimes Rosalie and Alice did, but that was a nickname that Emmett himself had given her, and she didn't like it when someone outside the family used it. She held Jasper closer. She didn't like Kammy that much. She was too different.

"Now, Emmeline, don't be rude." Jasper smiled at Kammy then. "That's really a family nickname. She's not used to others outside of the fmaily using it."

"Oh, Sorry." Kammy reached up, and took Emmeline's hand. "Come on. I want to see how this flashlight tag works."

Jasper set his child down, and took her by one hand, and Kammy by the other. He led them down into the backyard, and then let them go. He went to retrieve the flashlight from wher he had stored it under the deck. "You guys ready? Try to dodge the light."

"I'm really fast." Emmeline told Kammy.

"I'm fast too." Kammy grinned, and then the two of them were off, darting past the light, or jumping over it. Jasper watched over them carefully. He knew Emmeline didn't like Kammy all that much, and vice versa. So he worried about the act that was going on between them. He managed to "catch" Kammy finally, and the game ended.

"Good game, you guys. Emmeline, you win."

***

Inside, Alice was keeping Charlotte company. She was still wary after the events from a couple of nights ago, but she was warm towards the woman. "So have you and Peter been here long?"

"Not really. Peter had a whim, so we followed it." The other smiled lightly. "He's not happy about Jasper giving me the third degree the other night. He felt like Jasper was out of line."

"So did I, to be honest." Alice replied apperhensively. "You have to understand that Jasper is very protective of Emmeline. She's the first child he's ever had the chance to love as his own. It hurt him so much that we had to change her so young. Perhaps that's why he's so much firmer with her than he needs to be. He doesn't want to lose her."

"She respects him so much, and it shows." Charlotte was amazed. Most individuals that had come in contact with Jasper, human or not, had been terrified of him. "Was she ever afraid of him?"

"If she was, she did a very good job of pretending she wasn't." Alice smiled widely. "From the start, Emmeline loved us both. She has a great amount of trust for our entire family, and her love for Jasper is unconditional, as I see it. She ... didn't seem to care how dangerous Jasper might be. She had more faith in him than he had any right to ask for." Alice gazed towards the backyard. "This was all before she was even turned. All she cared about back then was being loved, and apparently, we gave her more of that than her own parents had." Her voice was sad. "I can't imagine any parent not loving their child the way we love Emmy."

"Mmm. That's so sad...." Charlotte shook her head in sympathy. "You and Jasper have done this child some good. It is plain to see how much she loves both of you. Perhaps it is because Jasper sired her that she is so very attached to him."

"I have no doubt." Alice replied, as she got up to check on things in the backyard. It was past Emmeline's "bedtime". They had come to the agreement that Emmeline was to be treated just like a normal child. It was for the future, when she might have school friends that want to spend the night or anything like that. She walked out on to the deck. "Jasper, it's Emmy's bedtime."

Emmeline pouted up at Alice from the lush backyard below. "I don't wanna. Me and Kammy were just getting along."

"You have a bedtime?" Kammy blinked. "You don't really sleep, do you?"

"No, but they like to lay me down for a few hours at night, because of the "future" as Daddy puts it." She saw that Alice was not going to change her mind. "I have to go ... can you come to the park tomorrow?"

"Sure!" Kammy hugged her new friend tightly. "Sleep well, if you know what I mean." They giggled at the irony of her words, and Emmeline went back up to the patio. Kammy watched her go. She felt bad for Emmeline. They were keeping her on too tight of a leash. She needed to help her break free, or Jasper and Alice would keep her a child mentally for the rest of her life.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The next day at the park, Alice was feeling a little more relaxed about letting Emmeline roam on her own. She sat on a bench with Charlotte. "I think things went well with her and Kammy last night." She said to the woman.

"Yeah, I think so too. Kammy's been so excited to see her today." Charlotte smiled gently. She wasn't going to admit to Alice that she felt as though Kammy had something horrible up her sleeve. She turned her attention to the girls, who were playing on the mostly vacant wooden equipment. "They seem to be getting on better now, it looks like."

"Yeah...." Alice was watching the little girls like a hawk. They were playing lightening fast tag, as she saw it. They were mainly a blur, and she hoped that no humans were about to see this. She didn't have the heart to tell them to stop, when they were doing so well.

"Hey, Emmeline, I was thinking. Maybe you can come spend the night at my house tonight." Kammy spoke casually. The other girl blinked, and shrugged. "Oh come on, it might be fun. Have you even been away from those two since you were adopted?" She knew the real story, of course. The Cullens had taken her, even though her father had actually still been alive. Her "father" Peter had told her all about the real story.

"I probably shouldn't...." Emmeline said, coming to a stop at the swing set. She climbed into the swing, and began to push herself off. "I don't want to be away from Mama and Daddy...."

"You're not afraid, are you?" Kammy challenged now. "Jasper and Alice could probably use a break. It's not like your other friend Emmett is here."

"No." Emmeline replied. She didn't want to go away from Jasper and Alice. They were the ones that kept her in check. They were the ones who made sure she didn't mess up. She knew how Kammy and her family fed. She didn't want to be a part of that. Jasper had told her it was not the way the Cullen-Hales worked. "I don't want to mess up. I'm on a trial." She got off the swing, and started to go over to Alice.

_Oh no you don't. _Kammy thought, grabbing her friend's hand. "What if Mama got some sippie cups of the kind of blood you drink? Then you wouldn't have to worry about "messing up" as you put it."

Emmeline felt how important this was to Kammy, though she wasn't sure why. She sighed deeply. "Okay, we can go." She went over to Alice. "Mama, can I spend the night with Kammy?"

Alice blinked, caught off guard. She hadn't seen that coming. She guessed she couldn't if it had just popped up. That's how it normally worked. "I...I don't know, Sweetie...." She knew the nature of Charlotte and Peter's diet. She didn't want Emmeline around that. It might influence her. She studied Emmeline's hopeful eyes, and tried to search her visions. She hoped to find something that would allow her to say no. She didn't feel good about this. If Jasper had been there, she was sure he would've said no, and been very adament about it, no matter how cute Emmeline tried to be. She saw nothing. "We'll have to talk to Jasper." She decided that Emmeline would be less likely to fight with her sire than her.

"And I'll need to go home, and speak with Peter about this as well." Charlotte gave Kammy a reproachful look. She knew her daughter was up to something underhanded, and she owed it to Jasper and Alice to find out exactly what she was planning. "We'll give you guys a call later tonight, and see what happens." She stood up, and took Kammy by the hand. "Let's go."

Emmeline watched Kammy go with her mother, and then she looked at Alice. "Daddy isn't going to let me go, is he?"

"I don't know." Alice knew how Jasper would react if he knew what Emmeline wanted. First he'd be torn, and then he'd make the best decision that would suit his child, whether she liked the outcome or not.

***

Jasper was waiting for them when they got home. "You guys are early...." He was surprised, that was for sure. Then he frowned, sensing Alice's uneasiness. "What happened?" He noticed that even Emmeline seemed tense. "Alice?"

Alice sighed. "Kammy invited Emmy to spend the night with her family." It was better just to blurt it all out, instead of keeping Jasper in suspense. He hated surprises.

"I see...." Jasper looked over at his young daughter then. She was sipping at one of the cups from her bag. "Do you want to go over there?"

"I don't know...I'm afraid I might mess up..." She crawled into Jasper's lap then, and laid her head on his chest. "I want Emmett to come visit."

"I know you do." Jasper ran a hand through the child's hair lightly as he looked up at his wife again. "What did Charlotte say?"

"She had to go home and talk to Peter, but she didn't feel there might be any problem with it, as long as she goes over there prepared." Alice wasn't going to admit that she was worried about all of this. Jasper would know anyway. "I haven't seen anything bad coming of this, as long as we send the right amount of cups with her."

Emmeline climbed out of Jasper's arms, and then looked at them. "I promise to be good if you let me go, Daddy."

Jasper frowned. He wanted to believe her, and have faith in her, but he just wasn't ready to let her go yet. He didn't feel like she was ready, and he didn't think Peter would think to pull her away if she did start to slip up. "Emmy...." He sighed. "Alright. But, Alice, give them our numbers, and make sure you pack her more than necessary, because of the circumstances."

"Thank you, Daddy!" Emmeline hugged Jasper tightly. "I love you."

"I love you too, Emmy. Just, please be careful." He got up, and he went up to his and Alice's room. He needed to talk to Emmett. Something told him he was going to need his brother. He didn't need Alice's precognitive ability to see it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Peter smiled at Emmeline after Jasper and Alice left later that evening. He had been given two diaper bags full of grizzly blood for his temporary charge. He put the cups in the fridge then. "Okay, so if you want any of them, just let any of us know, and we'll get one ready for you. You like them warm, right?"

" Uh huh." Emmeline was nervous. That was plain. Peter wondered if she had ever really been away from Jasper and Alice since the day they'd taken her in. "Where's Kammy?"

"Oh, she's watching television in the living room." Peter led the girl into the room. "Kammy, your guest is here."

"Great!" Kammy jumped off the couch, and smiled. _Great. Now I can show her what it's really like, to be immortal. We're not going to play those silly baby games Jasper invented for her amusement._ "Let's go outside and play. There's a brilliant patch of woods in the back yard."

"Kammy, you know you can't go out without one of us when Emmy's here." Peter warned his daughter. Charlotte had told him how odd Kammy had been reacting to Emmeline earlier in the day. He got his coat on, and followed the two friends out back.

Emmeline was wary of Kammy's mood. She seemed to be scheming, and she didn't like that at all. "I don't think I want to stay here anymore." She backed up towards the house. "Can you take me home, Peter?"

"No, come on!" Kammy whined. "You haven't given this a fair chance. It's only been what, five minutes? I promise you it gets better." She took Emmeline's hand firmly, and pulled her into the woods a bit forcefully. "When was the last time you were allowed free will in the woods?"

"It's not allowed. I could hurt someone...." Emmeline's eyes widened, as she realized what Kammy had in mind. "No! They're innocent people!" She'd just smelled the humans for the first time._ I have to get away from here. If she rips into them, even if I don't, the blood...oh the smell. It will hurt so badly. _

"But you're not at home. Surely they won't mind a little taste. You're supposed to honor your host's traditions." Kammy crouched as the family of hikers came into view. "I'll go first."

"Kammy, I can't allow this...." Peter began, but he stopped as one of children in the family fell, scraping himself open. Emmeline watched his eyes go from burgundy to black in seconds. And then he was gone, and amid screams of terror, Emmeline saw that both he and Kammy were feeding.

Emmeline stood there, shaking, and trying to control the hunger that flowed in her. Her throat burned, and her stomach churned. The blood smell ripped through her nostrils, and she looked around for something, anything, to distract her, but she couldn't. She wandered over, not sure she could control herself, but curious at the same time. She had not, as Kammy realized, ever been exposed to human blood, but the one time two days ago. Kammy reached out a hand to her, inviting her for the taste.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Come on. It'll make you feel better. Just a little taste won't hurt anything." When the girl was close enough, Kammy grabbed her hand firmly, pulled her forward. "Just one little taste. Jasper wouldn't mind that, would he?"

_Yes, yes he would! _Emmeline heard herself screaming inside, but she took the dead human girl that Kammy offered her. And she began to feed.

***  
"NO!!" Alice all but shrieked, dropping the vase of flowers she was carrying. "No no no no!" She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was the second time her sight had shown her that image, only this time, it was in progress, not something she could stop. "JASPER!"

Jasper blinked, and didn't give Emmett a second glance before he barrelled downstairs. "She didn't!"

"She...she did. They're still at it...it was that horrible Kammy! I knew this was a mistake!" Alice was shaking horribly, and she couldn't still herself for a second. "Oh our poor Emmy..." Alice heard the front door slam, and she looked at Jasper. "Emmett...."

Jasper wasn't happy with the situation either, but he didn't think going after Peter was proper justice for what had happened. He took off after his brother, hoping he could catch up, and calm him down so they could deal with the situation calmly.

***

Emmett was already out of the house and in the woods, hunting the group down. He wasn't going to pull any punches. He'd beat the tar out of Peter for this. He tried really hard not to think about the struggle that was would be ahead for Emmeline now that she had tasted human blood. He'd hoped that she would never have to taste any of it. Well, they had all hoped that. He stopped when heard crying and screaming up ahead. It was a mother, and her daughter, and it sounded like they might be the very last of the victims. He rushed ahead.

"Emmett!" Jasper caught up to him then, and grabbed his shoulder. "We go in together." He ran with him then, and stopped dead in the clearing. There was blood everywhere, and in the middle of it all was his baby, who no longer looked the part of the princess he and his family had tried to mold her to be. Jasper scanned the mess, and found Peter and Kammy finishing off their last bits. He turned to Emmett. "Get Emmeline. I'll deal with this."

Peter was stunned, when he saw what was happening. "Oh no ... Kammy, what did you do?!"

"She only was supposed to have a taste...." Kammy replied innocently. She hid behind Peter when she saw Jasper approaching.

"We trusted you, Peter! You promised us nothing would happen, and look at her!" He jabbed a finger at Emmeline, who was fighting with Emmett. It pained Jasper to see this. And he imagined it was hurting Emmett to have to be so rough with her.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this. Honest it wasn't...." Peter replied, his voice shaking. He'd witnessed Jasper take down hundreds of vampires, and was well aware of the consequences of upsetting him. "Kammy...."

Jasper grabbed Kammy by the scruff of her neck then. "What did you do?! How could you go against our wishes like this?! There was a reason for our rules, Kammy!" He dropped her violently then. "Peter, you helped us out once before. That is the only reason I'm letting you live. But you take your daughter, and your wife, and get out of our territory, now! I don't want to see you around here again!" He turned then, and went to assist Emmett, who wasn't getting anywhere.

"Emmy, please!" Emmett held on to her firmly, dragging her away from the carnage. He was thankful when Jasper came over. "She's still very strong. I'm having a hard time holding on to her!"

"LET GO! I'M NOT DONE!!"

"Oh yes you are!" Jasper yelled over her. "This is unacceptable behavior, Emmeline Margaret!" He took her from Emmett then, and held her tightly. Forcing calm, and relaxation upon her. "We have to find something to get the taste out of her mouth." He was carrying her back to the house as he spoke frantically. "And then we have to get her out of here."

"What do suppose we do then, Jasper? If you leave here, won't that make things a bit suspicious?" Emmett asked. "Why don't you let me and Rosalie take her back to Forks instead? " He knew that was going to be a tough sell, but he had to think about his niece now. "It would look less suspicious that way, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess...." He was relieved that Emmeline had finally stopped struggling, but she was whining, and sniffling now. Her throat just burned with blood lust. He tried to sooth her, rubbing her back. "Oh Emmy...." He laid her head on his shoulder as he went inside.

***

Rosalie and Alice met them at the door. Alice was nearly frantic. "What happened? How did it happen? I thought Peter had everything under control!"

"It was that sneaky child of theirs." Jasper all but growled, as he set Emmeline down. "Emmett, get her something to take the taste out of her mouth, please." He ran a hand over his face. "It doesn't really matter how it happened. It happened. We'll be lucky if the Volturi don't hear about this immediately. Just in case they don't, I think we should send her back with Emmett and Rosalie."

Alice frowned. She didn't like the idea of having to be apart from her baby. But she knew Jasper was probably right. Emmeline would be safer there, where they could re-acquaint her with their way of life. It would make things less suspicious on their part too. "We'll stay here for a while longer, as if we've been on vacation, and in a few months, we'll rejoin you guys." This she said to Rosalie.

"Sure thing." Rosalie smiled a bit sympathetically at Alice. "We'll take care of your baby. Don't worry."

"Oh come on, Emmy. This is your favorite." Emmett was sitting on the couch next to the girl, and was holding out a cup of grizzly blood to her. "It tastes way better than whatever you just had." He wasn't sure if that would make sense to a blood lusting child vampire, but he hoped it would. He held the cup out to her again, feeling like they were back to square one.

"No!" Emmeline replied more vocally than before. She inched away from Emmett, but the older vampire grabbed her wrist. "Let go!"

"Emmeline!" Alice turned and gave her a stern look. "You do not talk to Emmett like that. He is only trying to help." Her voice softened. "We're all just trying to help, baby."

"Mm!" Emmeline wasn't having any of it. She stalked for the backyard patio. Jasper scooped her up. "Down!"

"I will not!" Jasper replied sternly, holding her close to him. He turned her to face him. "Emmeline, I'm sorry Kammy did this to you. But you can't act like this. We've done nothing wrong. We're trying to help you." He held her close to him again, trying to make her feel safe and secure. He could feel how confused and hurt she was. She didn't understand why Emmett was being mean, or why he was, for that matter. He didn't have the words to explain it to her either.

"It hurts..." She whimpered softly now. "It really hurts..."

Jasper stroked her hair, and tried to sooth her as much as he could. "I know, baby, I know...." He tried very hard to remain calm himself, remembering that she could feel everything they were feeling. Which, he realized suddenly, explained her anger earlier. He looked to the rest of his family now. "We need to get her out of here, as fast as we can."

"Where are we going?" She looked up at Jasper now, and she suddenly felt a strong sense of guilt coming off her sire. "Daddy...?"

"You... have to go with Emmett and Rosalie back to the States." He said, careful to speak in an even tone, even though he felt choked up inside. He held her tighter when she squirmed in protest. "I know, it's not something we wanted to happen, but it will be safer for all of us if you go now."

"No! I don't wanna leave! I promise I won't do it again, just don't make me leave!" She clung tightly to Jasper as Rosalie came forward to take her.

"It's not forever, Em, I promise. Just go with them for now, then we'll come back in a few months, and we'll be together." Alice's heart broke as she helped her sister-in-law pry her child away from Jasper's arms.

Emmett took her from Rosalie, holding her close to him, and stroking her hair as she sniffled miserably. "I know, Emmy. It'll be okay." He looked over at Jasper and Alice then. "We'll do right by you guys, of course."

Jasper nodded. He knew Emmett would take good care of his best friend. He'd already done so well with Emmeline since she'd come into their lives. "Emmy?" He went over to his daughter, as Emmett turned her to face him. "You're gonna be okay with them, okay? If you need anything from us..." He tucked his own cellphone in her jumper pocket. "Call."

"I'm really sorry, Daddy...." Her eyes were glistening with tears that would not shed, as she reached out her little arms to hug Jasper one last time.

"This is not your fault." Jasper replied firmly, hugging her close to him. "You be good for Emmett and Rose, okay?"

"I will...." She turned in Emmett's arms, burying her face in his neck. She felt Alice come and hug her close, without taking her from Emmett. Her mother didn't say anything, and she wondered if it hurt her too much.

"We should go." Rosalie said softly now, breaking the silent goodbyes that were going on between Alice and Emmeline. She hugged her brother, and sister tightly. "We'll call you when we get home."

"Okay." Jasper walked them to the door, and with one last kiss on the top of Emmeline's head, he let them leave. It was only after their rental car was out of sight that he turned and held Alice tightly, comforting her while she comforted him. "Are you sure this will work?"

"My visions are never a sure thing, but I have the feeling that Aro will only allow this one slip up, since it was not her fault. However, moving her back to Forks where Carlisle and the others can better monitor her, and there is no Peter or Kammy will help hold down temptation was the only opportunity we would have to assure her proper recovery."

"Right...." Jasper sighed sadly, and he took his wife's hand, as they left to begin a hunt of a different sort.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Carlisle sighed in frustration. "Emmeline, you have to drink something." Jasper's adopted daughter wasn't having anything of what they had to offer. To her, it was all bad, and nothing good. She was still blaming herself because she'd hurt Jasper. He turned to Emmett, who wasn't looking too much more calmer than he felt. "She won't drink it." The cup in Carlisle's hand was full of grizzly blood.

"Emmy, sweetheart, you have to drink it, or you'll get really weak and sick. Do you want that?" It was Esme that spoke now. She and Emmeline had bonded over the last couple of days since she'd come back with Emmett and Rosalie.

"No...." Emmeline pouted a bit at them. They didn't seem to understand. She had made Jasper and Alice sad because she drank things she wasn't supposed to. She didn't want to make another mistake.

"You won't make another mistake. This is blood that you can have." Edward told her, coming to sit by her side. He and Bella had been trying to help her as much as possible, and even Renesmee had gotten in on the act by taking her hunting with them once. He put a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't hurt Jasper, little one. His friend Peter hurt him." He took the cup from Carlisle. "Mm. It smells like one of your favorites. Are you sure you don't want it?"

"I'm sure." Emmeline got up, and left the kitchen, leaving her family to stare after her sadly.

Edward looked at Carlisle and Emmett. "I don't know what else to say."

"Me either. She hasn't eaten in two days." Emmett was really worried. "I don't know about starving to death, but I know that if she lets herself go too long, the first human she comes across is dead." And they couldn't afford for her to go after another human. "Should we get tougher on her? Do you think that would help?"

"It might, but it might also backfire." Edward blinked. "Jacob's outside. I'll be right back." He went outside then. He was hoping Jacob was bringing him more ideas to help his niece.

***

Rosalie walked into the TV room, carrying a sippie cup. Emmeline was watching Sesame Street, again. She just shook her head. She wouldn't de-rail Alice and Jasper's upbringing of their daughter. "Hey, Em...." She sat down on the floor right next to the child. "What the letter for the day?"

"T." She looked over at Rosalie, eyeing the cup suspiciously. "What's that?"

"Well, I hope it's something you'll drink, honey." She pulled Emmeline into her lap, and gave her the cup. "We know you're afraid, Emmeline. it's perfectly natural. What Kammy did to you was cruel, and completely uncalled for. But if you don't start drinking, you're going to get really blood hungry, and then it could get worse." Rosalie watched her niece sip the drink calmly. She thanked whatever higher power there was silently, as she held Emmeline closely. "Good girl." Hearing her sip was a beautiful sound to Rosalie's ears. They had all been scared that things would get bad before they'd be better.

"Hey, she's drinking you guys!" Emmett had come in to turn on SportsCenter, but he was glad to have come in on that instead. He smiled at Rosalie. "What did you say? How did you...?"

"Does it really matter?" Rosalie asked. She stood up with the girl in her arms. "She's drinking."

Emmeline eyed Emmett cautiously. What else would they ask her for? She was surprised when her friend plucked her right from Rosalie's arms. "Emmett...?' She hadn't spoken directly to any of them, other than to ask for things they wouldn't give her.

"It's going to be okay now, Em, I promise." Emmett sat down with her on the couch. "Letter T, huh? What kind of words begin with T?" He looked down at his little buddy then, ruffling her hair. Now it could be business as usual, while they got her back to hunting animals, and sharpening her mind.

"Tiger....?" Emmeline looked up at Emmett. She was glad things seemed to be almost normal.

"That's right!" He snuggled her closely. "What else?"

"T..tree!" Emmeline liked to humor Emmett. She was smarter than she let on. She grinned when Emmett hugged her tightly. "Are you sure you're not mad at me?"

"Mad? Emmy, I was never mad at you. I was scared I'd lose you." Emmett's voice broke slightly, as he wrapped his arms around her even tightly. "I'm going to make sure no one ever tempts you like that again. Now, let's watch some real TV, huh?" He changed the channel to SportsCenter.

Emmeline giggled, and laid her head on Emmett's lap, and let him stroke her hair gently as he watched his highlights.

***

Aro was pacing silently in his chambers, deep in thought. He had not like the news he had received from his informant in Yorkshire. The Cullen child vampire had been seen, feeding on human blood. However, another child vampire had instigated it, and he was even less pleased with her. He wanted nothing more than to be rid of them both, but he knew that Emmeline had tried her best to resist. Jasper Hale was always a man of his word. They had immediately rectified the situation, and reprimanded her. He shook his head. His fellow elders were not going to like his take on the situation, least of all Caius, who had been beside himself with joy at the knowledge that Emmeline had fed off a human. There was a knock on his door.

"Aro, the counsel is ready to meet. Have you made your decision?" Felix's voice said now.

"Yeah, I have." Aro went to the door. "I want to deal with this alone." He pulled his cloak on. "Tell the others I'll return in a day or two." It was rare that the elders split. But Aro had his reasons for it.

"But Aro...." Felix didn't want to be the one to tell them. Caius was already on edge for having to wait on Aro to begin with. "Can't you tell them?"

"No no, that won't do. But, do me a favor, and send Jane and Alec in. I'll need them for my trip." Aro spoke casually. He would have a word with Carlisle, and little Emmeline. Then he would make his decision based on what they said. "On second thought, I think I will go, and tell the elders myself." He would delight in seeing Caius' expression himself when he made the announcement. He went into the main hall.

Caius eyed him suspiciously as he entered. "What is it, Aro? Why do you look like you're ready to leave, yet we have not come to a decision?"

"Because, Caius, dear friend, I am going to go and deal with this child myself. The information I have gotten from my informants leads me to believe that it was far beyond her control. She was manipulated."

"Manipulated or not, she still drank from a human. That was a deal breaker." Marcus pointed out. "Aro, you do not intend to make allowances for the Cullens yet again, do you?"

"It won't be making allowances. It will be, going to make sure that Emmeline's deeds were not of her own free will, and not just because she wanted to. I do not believe she intentionally wanted to feed on anything that Jasper Cullen wouldn't have approved of. This other child vampire, on the other hand, must also be dealt with. Some of you should go to Yorkshire, deal with her, and her parents. I will take care of Emmeline Whitlock." He used the name the child was currently being made to go by. "Alec, I want you to come with me." He was hoping he wouldn't have to resort to having the child immobilized for questioning, but just in case, Alec would be very useful.

"But I have always gone with you." Jane was surprised to have been ignored by Aro. She had always thought of herself as Aro's pet.

"Indeed, but I'm afraid you frighten that girl too much. You will get the chance to play with Kammy in England." His smile bordered on cruel now. He did not take kindly to those who deliberately tried to hurt children, vampires or not. "I will be back shortly." He left with Alec, leaving his fellow elders to gawk after him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

It was frosty out when Emmett took Emmeline hunting for the first time since she'd been back in Forks. She would remember that. It was her first frost there. She took the time to actually taste it, but found it bland, and unexciting. Emmett chuckled at her annoyance, realizing this was her first winter as a vampire. "Nothing good, huh, Emmy?"

"Yucky." Emmeline agreed, taking Emmett's hand. As they wandered around, looking for something that would satisfy both herself, and Emmett, she blinked. She caught a glimpse of the spot where she'd first learned about the secret life of her family. "Mmm." The memory of that day still haunted her, even though she knew nothing like that would ever happen again.

"Hm?" Emmett looked down, and glanced to where she was looking. "Oh, Emmy...." He still felt bad about that day himself. He had not meant to lose control so completely. He'd merely just wanted to save the girl's life. He picked her up. "It's okay, baby." He soothed her, rubbing her back a bit. He blinked as he heard his cell phone go off. "Hang on..." He reached in his pocket, and answered. "Hello?"

"Emmett, hurry and bring her back here. Alice just called, and said the Volturi are in Yorkshire, dealing with Peter's family, but Aro wasn't with them." Rosalie's voice was frantic. "That means he's coming here alone to deal with her!"

"Right. Well, we'll be home soon. I don't think it's a good idea to have her meet Aro on an empty stomach." Emmett hung up, and he set the girl down. "Okay, Em. Aro's coming here to deal with your transgressions last week. So we're going to have to show him it was a one time deal. Can you do that for me, baby?"

"Uh huh!" She blinked, as her little nose caught the whiff of the prey she'd so badly wanted. "And here's my chance." She looked up at Emmett, who nodded. She sprang from his arms, and tore off far from her guardian.

Emmett watched her go, and smiled to himself. He followed quickly behind her though. Even though Emmeline had proven more than once to be an efficient huntress, Jasper never let her go at it totally alone yet. Sometimes Emmett wondered if Jasper and Alice intended to let her develop mentally or not. He knew that soon enough, she'd grow tired of being treated so young, when she was much smarter than most children her physical age already. That was why he always made sure to talk to her straight up. He didn't want to hide anything from her. However, he respected Jasper and Alice's wishes enough that he didn't de-rail too much from their parenting. He stopped about a foot away from her. She was

in her pounce position. He noted that the prey she was seeking now was not that of the grizzly. It was a small rabbit. He shrugged. It wasn't any different from a human being choosing between a burger and a pizza to him. He smirked when he heard her growling in victory. "Good job!" He came up behind her then, slowly.

"It's good!" Emmeline was still making a mess with the kills. She tore into the rabbit's flesh, and drank deeply.

"Well, you're making a mess, that's for sure." Emmett chuckled. "I'll be back. I need to go a little further north. Stay here." He ran off, knowing that Emmeline would be preoccupied with her kill for a long while.

***

Rosalie was relieved when Emmett and Emmeline returned over an hour later. "What took you so long?" She demanded to know as she took the child into her arms. Emmeline was her usual mess after a hunt. Rosalie tried not to breathe in too deeply.

"She was hungry, of course." Emmett replied. "Newborn, remember?" Emmett helped Rosalie get Emmeline out of her coat. "Better get her cleaned up before they get here. She looks like she took a bath in blood."

"Yeah." Rosalie took Emmeline upstairs. "We have got to teach you how to eat more cleanly." She ran a hand through the girl's hair. "Are you afraid?"

"A little. I didn't mean to mess up, Rosalie. They're going to kill you guys because of me..." Emmeline's lower lip stuck out in a pout. "It's my fault, not yours, not Jasper's. Mine." She buried her face in Rosalie's chest, and she felt her adoptive aunt hold her close to ehr, and stroke her hair.

Rosalie held the girl close to her, feeling helpless. There was nothing she could say to Emmeline that she felt would comfort the child. She began to run a bath for her, and when the tub was full, she stripped her, and put her in the water. "We'll do everything we possibly can to keep you safe, Emmy. You have my word." Rosalie began to bathe her then, being gentle. Rosalie admitted to herself it was nice to be taking care of a child. She'd always wanted children, and the only way she'd ever have one is to make one of her own. She envied Jasper and Alice for having that opportunity, but she knew she'd never be able to willingly take a child's human life from them. It was too cruel a thing to do. She wondered if Jasper and Alice ever thought about that when they played mother and father to Emmeline. She watched Emmeline play in the bathtub and for a minute, it seemed as though she was still human. Her innocence surprised Rosalie the most.

"Rosalie, when's Daddy and Mama coming back?" Emmeline asked suddenly. She missed Jasper and Alice so much that she spent a lot of time in their room when no one was watching.

"Oh, they'll probably come back any time now." Rosalie told her. She proceeded to wash the girl's hair then, careful not to get any soap in her eyes, even though it really wouldn't do any harm to her anymore. When she was done, she carefully got her out of the tub, and took her to her room to get dressed. "Let's put you in this." She held up a veveteen jumper that still had the price tag on it.

"Okay." Emmeline humored Rosalie, and let the girl dress her like Alice always did. She smiled cutely when she was done. "Does it look good?"

"Adorable." Esme said from the doorway. She looked at Rosalie, a serious look on her face, then she smiled at Emmeline again. "Emmy, dear, we have visitors downstairs.

"Aro?" Emmeline felt stiff in fear. She longed for Jasper to be there to pick her up, and hold her. Make her feel better. She had to make do with Emmett though, as the tall vampire scooped her up, and held her close to him. "I don't want to go down there...."

"But Aro really wants to talk to you." Emmett told her. He looked at Rosalie. "You should call Alice and Jasper now, while the rest of us deal with this."

"Right...." Rosalie went to their room to make the call, while Emmett took their charge downstairs. She hoped Aro would understand wha had happened in Yorkshire. She couldn't bear it if Emmeline was sentenced to die.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Aro almost felt bad, seeing how terrified Emmeline Hale was when Emmett brought her downstairs. He tried to smile kindly to reassure her. "Do not fear, little one. I have merely come to find out from the source the truth of things that happened in Yorkshire." He looked at her caregivers then. "You can set her down. I have no plans to harm her." He watched as Emmett her sit down in his lap then. "Very well." He sat across from them.

Emmeline watched Aro through round, honey colored eyes, as she gripped Emmett's shirt tightly. "I didn't mean to be a bad girl...." She looked up at the vampire pleading to be understood. "Kammy made me...."

"Ah, Kammy. Yes, well, Caius and my other brethren are going to make sure Kammy doesn't "make" any one do anything again. " He reached out a hand, and stroked the frightened child's hair. He was seeing the memories of the incident from the child's point of view. "Ah, I see. You did try and get away, but she grabbed you."

"Uh huh." Emmeline buried her face in Emmett's chest, and she felt her best friend wrap his arms around her more securely in a gesture of comfort. "I didn't mean to do it. I didn't want to hurt Mama and Daddy, or the others... but especially not Mama, Daddy and Emmett..." There were sobs in her voice as Aro heard from within Emmett's chest.

Aro stood up then, pacing. It was a very bad position he was in. One the one hand, she had broken the deal, and fed on a human. But on the other, it had been another uncouth of their kind that had tempted her, indeed, nearly forced it on her. How could he fault her for that? She was still a newborn as it were. It would have been very easy to tempt her, and with the child that had done it so close to age.... He glanced at Alec, who was offering no help for the situation, merely awaiting orders. At length, he looked at the Cullens again. "Has she been around other humans recently?"

"Yes." It was Alice that spoke. She stood in the doorway, not surprised at all to see the living room full with her family, and their Italian guests. "She was a part of the a play group, along with Kammy." She watched Jasper walk over to Emmett and swiftly scoop Emmeline into his arms. She saw their baby wrap her arms very tightly around her sire's neck, and she had to smile. Jasper and Emmeline had both been suffering without each other. "She had not been tempted before this incident, Aro. You have my word."

"Take into account, as well, that Emmeline is around Jacob Black a lot of the time, since he's here with Renesmee." Esme put in now. "He may be a shape shifter, but he is still very human to her nose."

"Right." Alice nodded, and moved to stand with her husband and their baby. She reached up, and played with Emmeline's damp hair slightly. She smiled a bit when Emmeline reached down, and gave her a big hug. She turned to Aro then. "We promise you that we took care of the situation immediately. She did not go without reprimanding, even if it wasn't totally her fault."

"I can see that. She has been feeling rather like she's disappointed you. " Aro turned to Emmeline then, and reached out his arms to take her from Jasper. "Just for a moment, little one." He held her gently, as he studied her. Her eyes were a honey color now, and she appeared to have made a full adjustment to immortal life, as if it was all natural to her now. "I want to make a new deal with you, Emmeline."

Emmeline looked up at Aro then, giving her full attention to the Volturi elder. "Okay."

"I'll spare you. This time only. On the condition that you give me your word that you will never feed on another human. And that you will remain with your family at all times." Aro had seen how upset she had been over not being with Jasper and Alice Whitlock. He didn't want to see her hurt that way again. She didn't deserve it.

"I promise, Aro." She said now, and she was relieved to be returned to Jasper's arms. She buried her face deep into Jasper's chest, and she felt him rub her back, and a thread of calm swept through her. "It's okay, Daddy."

"I know." Jasper eyed Aro, not completely sure he believed it was going to be that easy to keep his Emmeline alive.

"I can see you are astounded. I am out to prove that we are not one hundred percent without heart. Or at least, I'm not. This child has proven that with the right upbringing, even children can be made immortal under the proper circumstances. I will be taking that knowledge back to the council myself, and who knows. There might be a change to the rules in the future." Without another word to any of them, he gestured to Alec, and they both left.

***

_Five months later_

Jasper sat in the darkened theater next to Alice. The rest of his family were sitting in other parts of the theater. Alice took his hand in hers as the curtain went up, and the overture for Swan Lake began. They watched with the audience as Emmeline's very petite form appeared on the stage. She danced flawlessly, never missing a beat. Jasper took Alice's hand, and squeezed it. They were both very proud of the girl. The ballet had been Alice's idea. Emmett had fought with her tooth and nail about it, but stopped when Emmeline decided that she wanted to do it herself.

"She's perfect." Alice whispered as the child's scene came to an end.

"Indeed." Jasper replied, nodding. "She's come a very long way."

"Sh!" Emmett said now. "She's back on." He may not have liked the idea of his little sports buddy in a ballet costume, he had gladly supported her when she made the decision to join a ballet class to please Alice. That was one thing he loved about Emmeline. She never wanted to do anything that would upset her parents. The compromise was that Alice allow her to join them on the baseball field every game. Once all the compromises had been made, Emmett had even agreed to drive to her classes when Alice was busy. He watched his friend with pride, as if he was her father too, though not so much.

"This was a good move on your part. She's adorable." Bella whispered to Alice then.

"Thanks." She smiled gently, then joined the family in a standing ovation when it came to the intermission. Emmeline would not have to stay for the rest of the performance, per the agreement with her ballet instructor. Alice followed Jasper and Emmett backstage, where Jasper pulled Emmeline close to him.

"We are SO proud of you, Emmy!" Jasper told the child proudly. He held her close to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. It was fun up there, Daddy. I want to stay." She looked both of her parents in the eyes then, before reverting her attention back to her sire. "Please? I can hang on just a little longer. It's almost over. Kelsey invited me to a party afterwards too. Emmett can go with me."

"Sure, Emmy, I'd love to." Emmett knew he'd have to skip out briefly and get something to eat for him, and some provisions for her to drink on the way there, but he thought it was a good idea for Emmeline to get some socialization in. She had been doing so well with her classes, he felt as though Jasper and Alice owed it to her.

"I don't know, Emmeline...." Alice said now, however. "I think you should just come home with us now." She figured that they already been pushing the envelope, allowing her to be alone without them backstage. Neither she or Jasper were ready to really let her fly alone, so to speak.

"Alice, she's not going to be six forever. You need to give her some room to develop." Emmett said now, surprising himself. He had always promised himself he'd stay out of it when it came to how Jasper and Alice wanted to raise their child, but he couldn't stand by and allow them to keep holding her back in development anymore. "She'd be fine, you know. I'll even stay back here for the remainder of the show, and take her myself."

"Emmett...." Rosalie was surprised by Emmett's words. They had promised each other not to get in the middle of Jasper and Alice's child rearing.

"It's too soon." Alice insisted in a low voice, as the director passed. "She's not ready."

"How do you know that, Alice?" Emmett persisted. "You won't give her a chance to try. I know what happened with Kammy scared you, but that's never going to happen again."

"Emmett, she's our child, not yours. Stop trying to interfere." Jasper said now, his voice firm. He turned with Emmeline in his arms, and headed for the exit.

"I don't wanna leave!" Emmeline said now, her voice louder than she had intended. But they weren't listening to her, and now they were fighting. "I can do this, Daddy. I promise."

"You see, Emmett? This is why we don't want you involved like this!" Alice said now, upset by the fact that now they'd have to make Emmeline listen. It wasn't often they had to reprimand her, or scold her for that matter. She turned her attention to that task.

"It wouldn't be a problem if you'd just let her develop, just a little bit." Emmett said, his voice remaining calm. "It's not fair to keep her back when she so obviously wants to make steps forward." They were all out in the hall now, away from the human ears of Emmeline's classmates.

Jasper sighed, setting Emmeline on her feet. He crouched to her level then. "Are you sure, Em? I can feel your hunger. Are you sure you can hold off for another two hours?"

"Yes." Emmeline pulled away from Jasper, and went over to Emmett. "Will you really take me to Kelsi's?"

"I will." Emmett nodded. "Go on back out there, honey. I'll be back stage, should you need anything." He watched her go, and then looked at Jasper and Alice. "Guys, look...."

"No. You're right." Jasper said quietly, laying a hand on Alice's shoulder. "We're only hurting her, Alice, if we don't let her start making her own decisions. She's young in body, but her mind... it needs to develop. It's not fair to deny her that, since we took her human life away from her." Jasper walked back into the wings, and watched Emmeline perform flawlessly. She was growing up beautifully, even if not physically. She would always be his baby, and he knew that. As her final scene came to an end, she turned towards the wings, feeling them there. She gave Jasper her famous adorable smile, and her sire smiled back. _You're going to be fine, Emmeline, and I promise, I'll always make sure you're healthy and happy. _

**(A/N: And this concludes "Eyes on Fire". I'd like to thank the readers that came back for this fic, and those that have continued to read the things I come up with. Please go to my profile for a special announcement in regards to any future fanfics.) **


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